Tales to Astonish #63Tales to Astonish #63
Title: "The Gangsters and the Giant!”
Writer: Stan Lee
Penciller: Carl Burgos
Inker: Chic Stone
Giant-Man practices shrinking down and growing up at high speeds. Wasp congratulates Giant-Man for going down and up in under one microsecond. Wasp asks how about he practices how to dine and dance in a romantic club. Giant-Man tells her to forget it. He tells her to take a break while he tries a new exercise. Wasp says that she tried, but that she could use the break. Wasp grows to normal size so that Hank can look at her more clearly. Wasp asks what Giant-Man is picking up. Hank says that they are concentrated weights. He tells her to try and lift one, but Wasp can barely budge it. Giant-Man fixes the small, but extremely heavy weights onto his belt. He grabs onto the trapeze bar, He says that the idea is to do this with the most weight possible so that when he is in the field without them that it will be easy to do. Wasp warns him to be careful. He does a flip, and grows to a larger size to grab onto the other bar. Wasp says that isn’t bad. The doorbell rings..
Wasp answers the door and finds a policeman there. The officer says that he needs to speak with Giant-Man. They hear a loud noise, and Wasp leads the cop back to find that Giant-Man is jumping on a trampoline. The cop asks Giant-Man if he has a minute. Giant-Man shrinks down and leaps off. Wasp says that she guesses this means no dinner date for her. The officer says that the chief wants to see him down at headquarters right away. He says that he has a squad car downstairs. Giant-Man tells the officer to take the Wasp, and that he will meet him there. Giant-Man leaps out the window. He slides down a tension spring escape cable and then lets go flying into the air. Wasp is freaking out.
Hank says that he didn’t mean to worry her, but that he has been waiting to try this. Hank falls through the air. He starts shrinking down to ant size. Before he hits the ground, Hank lands on the back of a cybernetically summoned ant. The ant drops Hank onto the trunk of a taxi. Hank leaps off the cab, and grabs a flagpole. He swings into the chief’s window and manages to shrink down to fit through the window. The chief asks when he is going to learn to act like an ordinary man. Hank says that if he were ordinary that the chief would not have sent for him.
Ten minutes later, Wasp arrives and says that she hopes he is proud for worrying her. Giant-Man apologizes but says that they can talk about that later as the chief has an interesting problem for them. The chief shows Wasp a map, and explains that each dot on the map represents a store that has been forced to pay protection money to the Wrecker. Wasp asks who he is. The chief says that no one has ever seen his face since he always wears a mask. The chief explains that they force stores to pay them so that he won’t damage their stores. When the Wrecker does attack a store he and his men flee like cowards from the police. The chief says that he has placed men inside certain stores, but that the Wrecker always seems to know which ones to attack. The chief says that they are sure that they will catch him, but that he thought they might be able to do it sooner. Giant-Man agrees. The chief asks if they need anything. Giant-Man says that the Wasp is his only secret weapon. Wasp says that she would rather be thought of as his dreamboat.
Hank and Janet walk down the street in their regular clothes looking for a store to buy. They enter a hardware store for sale. Hank asks the man how much he wants. The man says that if it were up to him that he would pay him to take it. Hank asks why. The man says that he refuses to pay the Wrecker because he is not afraid of him, but that the Wrecker has scared away all his customers. Hank says that he doesn’t mind paying the Wrecker like the other stores do. The man says that he is a coward like the others, but that he will sell to him just so he doesn’t have to deal with all these cowards.
A few days later, the Wrecker tells his goons to go talk to the new owners of Smith’s hardware store. One of the goons grabs Hank and says that he is going to sign a protection contract or the Wrecker will wreck his store. As a sample of what they’ll get if they don’t pay the other goon smashes a glass display case. Hank and Janet beat the goons up and toss them out into the street. Hank asks Janet if she took enough money from them to pay for the damage they did. Wasp says that it is right here, but thinks that maybe she should have asked them if they wanted to charge it.
Within minutes, the people come to Hank to shake his hand, and warn him that he might have just put himself in grave danger. Hank says that he will be ready for the Wrecker when he returns with more men.
At the Wrecker’s headquarters, Wrecker beats up the goons and says that the next time they fail that he won’t be so lenient. Wrecker goes to contact his entire network of criminals. He tells them all to stop what they are doing and to execute plan “W” immediately.
All over the city, Wrecker’s men start rioting to keep the policeman and firemen busy. They set fire to buildings and start fights. Wrecker pulls up to the store. He says that if his men are doing their jobs that he will be able to go deal with the couple inside before the police arrive. Wrecker and some of his men enter the building, but they are surprised when they find Giant-Man and Wasp inside. Giant-Man rams into Wrecker and his men. Wrecker throws down a tear gas bomb. Giant-Man is forced to head outside for air. Wrecker and his men turn to putting Wasp out of action, but Wasp begins blasting the men. Wrecker grabs a can of bug killer and sprays the Wasp. Wasp shouts for help. Giant-Man starts smacking the men around. His head is above the tear gas and DDT and keeps looking around for Wasp. Giant-Man finds an exhaust fan. He rips a hole in the ceiling and uses the right wires to activate the fan. Giant-Man charges Wrecker, but Wrecker set a bear trap for Giant-Man. Giant-Man steps on it, but as soon as he hears it he shrinks down and back up in less that one micro-second. Giant-Man grabs up the Wrecker and demands to know where the Wasp is. Giant-Man tosses the Wrecker out to the local storeowners that have gathered.
Giant-Man shrinks down and finds Wasp where
Wrecker said she was. Wasp is still breathing, but she is
unconscious. Wasp starts to wake up. Giant-Man holds her and says
that she doesn’t know what she means to him. 
Hank kisses
Janet. Wasp says that she never knew that Hank was such a
romantic. Giant-Man tries to pass it off that he was using mouth
to mouth resuscitation. Wasp says that whatever he calls it she
hopes that it is habit forming. Giant-Man looks out the window
and sees that the police have unmasked the Wrecker. Hank
recognizes him as the man who sold him the hardware store. He
says that he wondered why the store had not been wrecked before
they bought it. Wrecker and his men are arrested.
As they fly away together on the back of an ant, Jan thinks to herself that she will have to pretend to be unconscious more often so that he will kiss her more often.
Avengers Files rating: 7 out of 10
Love Burgos’ art in this issue. He has a nice clean style and good arrangement. His scale of Giant-Man to other people around him is also very well done. The story is a little stupid. It’s nice and all that Giant-Man and Wasp helped out, but to defeat a man who’s only power is that he has a mask is kinda weenie. Giant-Man needs more villains.
Title: “A Titan Rides the Train!”
Writer: Stan Lee
Penciller: Steve Ditko
Inker: Geo. Bell
The Leader sits
in his chair next to his humanoid. Leader says that finally his
humanoid is ready. Leader starts to remove his helmet and he
thinks back to the day that this all started for him.
Leader says that it was less than a year ago
that he was an ordinary laborer. He was moving a load of waste
material in the sub-cellar of a chemical research plant. A freak
accident caused an experimental gamma ray cylinder to explode.
The laborer was trapped helplessly in the blast. He had to place
to go and no place to turn. For almost a full minute the laborer
was bombarded with the mysterious gamma rays. Normally only a
fraction of the radiation that he absorbed is necessary to kill a
man, but for some reason the laborer survived. Medical science
was completely baffled. He seemed completely unharmed, but that
he was different in one way. The man began reading book after
book. He couldn’t get enough to read. Even after he was
released from the hospital the laborer went about reading any
book he could get his hands on. The laborer had never even
finished high school, but now all of a sudden his brain hungered
for learning and knowledge. The man retained everything that he
read. He absorbed knowledge like a sponge. Finally one day the
gamma rays began to affect him. His head started spinning and
passed out on the ground. While he lay there the laborer was
transformed. Eventually the man regained consciousness and
struggled to his feet. 
He made his way
into the bathroom and when he looked into the mirror he
discovered what happened to him.
Leader sits with his helmet now off. He says that he was that once unskilled laborer. The gamma rays transformed him into one of the greatest brains that ever lived. He says that his former name is now meaningless and that from now on he will be known as the Leader. Leader says that he has used his immense intelligence to create a vast spy ring to help him take the reins of government, but that those who worked for him were not equal to the task. Leader says that now however he has created a humanoid to serve him.
Back in New Mexico, Bruce does a scan for any residual radiation from the explosion but finds none. Chameleon watches Banner from behind a rock. He says that he was a fool to tackle the Hulk single-handed. Chameleon says that maybe he can still be of service to the Leader before he escapes.
Inside Ross’ office, Ross tells Talbot that one of Banner’s latest nuclear inventions is to be moved to another base by train, and that the Pentagon wants Banner to go with it so that he can explain its operation. Talbot says that he is sure that Banner is a security risk. Ross says that he doesn’t trust Bruce either and so he is sending Talbot along as well. Talbot says that he’ll learn the truth about him somehow.
As the train is about to leave, Ross tells Banner that he is to stay on the train until it reaches its destination, and that Talbot is going to be watching him. Ross says that he still doesn’t trust him. Bruce says that Ross has managed to make him very aware of that. Chameleon overhears about the trip and contacts the Leader with the information.
Leader sits in his lair. He says that Banner’s invention must not reach its destination, and that the humanoid is going to see that it doesn’t. Leader fixes a headpiece to his head that allows him control his every movement and to see what the humanoid sees. Leader tests the humanoid out and has him walk to an iron bar. Leader then has the humanoid bend the iron bar with its hands. Leader says that the humanoid’s strength is almost beyond belief. Leader activates the seeing mechanism and watches himself through the humanoid’s eyes. Leader walks his humanoid onto his remote control helicopter.
An hour later, Leader sees through the humanoid that it has arrived at the train. The helicopter starts to descend. The humanoid starts lowering down onto the train. Some soldiers see the humanoid and try to shoot him, but the bullets pass right through the humanoid without affecting it.
A soldier comes down to get Talbot. Banner says that his invention must not fall into enemy hands. Talbot orders Banner to remain in the car while he goes to see what is happening. Bruce says that the invention represents years of work and that he should be there to protect it. Talbot locks Banner inside the car. Bruce starts to freak out and changes into the Hulk. Hulk punches a hole through the wall of the train car.
The humanoid manages to uncouple the car containing the nuclear device. The other cars start to fall behind. Hulk leaps from his car towards the other. The Leader has the humanoid begin to uncover the device. Leader says that all he needs is a few seconds to observe it, but Leader doesn’t get his seconds as the Hulk lands on the humanoid. Hulk bounces back up off the rubbery humanoid. Then for the first time, the Leader sees the Hulk. Leader says that he thought that he was the only one, but now he knows that he is not. Leader wonders if the Hulk’s strength is a result of gamma rays the way that his intellect is. Hulk punches the humanoid in the stomach, but the humanoid’s rubbery body sends Hulk hurtling off. Hulk tries squeezing the humanoid, but the humanoid has no brain with which to register pain. Leader spots that they are approaching an overpass and that this is the time to act. The humanoid grabs Hulk and gives him an electric shock. Hulk is stunned and releases the humanoid. The humanoid then picks Hulk up and throws his up into the overpass. Hulk uses his muscular control and flips upward over the solid stone trestle. Hulk handsprings off the overpass and back onto the train car. Leader sees the Hulk and decides that maybe he is not as brainless as he thought. Leader says that maybe he is a worthy foe for him. The humanoid tries to shock again, but Hulk isn’t stunned and he shrugs it off. Hulk smashes the humanoid into the nuclear device. He sees that some of the bolts that hold it down have come loose. The humanoid grabs hold on Hulk and starts smothering him with his body. Hulk grabs handfuls of the humanoid, but he can’t pull him off. Hulk holds his breath until he and the humanoid fall off the car together. They smash into a rock.
Back in his lab, the Leader’s screen goes blank. He says that the impact has made him loose contact and that the humanoid has become a lifeless non-entity.
Hulk gets back up and leaps towards the train again. As the Hulk hurtles towards the car, the nuclear device comes loose. Before the device can detonate the Hulk grabs it out of the air. The device lands safely in the sand. Hulk begins to revert into Banner.
Some time later, a helicopter spots Banner and the machine. They land and Talbot has Banner arrested because he didn’t remain in his car like Talbot ordered.
In his study, the Leader sits pondering. Leader says that he must learn more about the Hulk. Leader says that in all the world only the Hulk has the power to defeat him. Leader says that he must destroy him, and that his mind is more powerful than Hulk’s body.
Elsewhere, Banner sits in his prison cell. He says that there is no way to explain that doesn’t involve him admitting that he is the Hulk. He wonders what to do next.
No Excuses rating: 9 out of 10
Finally the introduction of the Hulk’s archenemy. Where the Hulk is strong the Leader is smart. They are the perfect opposite. Leader is one of my favorite villains of all time. You get to see his sinister calculating nature quite well in this issue. This is the type of issue that makes you remember what a comic genius that Stan Lee is, and forgive him calling Betty “Miss Brant” as often as he wants. The action is also great in this issue as Hulk fights a great fight. Ditko does a great job with the action and his portrayal of the Leader. I love this issue.